Huntsman postpones China trip due to concerns over swine flu

A Western Governors' Association trip to China led by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. set for later this month was postponed Tuesday because of concerns surrounding the swine flu outbreak.

Huntsman and at least three other Western governors were to have spent a week beginning May 16 in Beijing and Xian meeting with provincial and national leaders in China about clean energy development.

But the decision was made to postpone the trip until August or September to allow the governors to deal with the outbreak, Huntsman spokeswoman Lisa Roskelley said.

Chris McKinnon, the association's senior policy adviser, said the Chinese Embassy was to have been told the trip was postponed "out of a sense of caution. … Obviously they are our hosts so we hope rescheduling in August or September will work for them."

Huntsman will still leave the state for a five-day Utah trade mission to Israel set to start Sunday, Roskelley said. Huntsman will head up a group of Utah companies looking for new business opportunities in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.